Waytashek leads Jacks past 'Roos

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Megan Waytashek scored a career-high
33 points and the South Dakota State came up with two defensive stops in the
final seconds to hold off Kansas City, 62-61, in Summit League women's
basketball action Saturday afternoon.

The Jackrabbits improved to 17-6 overall and 9-1 in The
Summit League after sweeping a three-game road swing. Kansas City dropped to
8-15 overall and 4-6 in league play.

Kansas City controlled the majority of the first half,
grabbing separate leads of seven and eight points.

The Jackrabbits' only lead of the opening stanza was at 4-2
following two Waytashek free throws. The game would be tied four more times,
the last at 18-all, before the Kangaroos and guard Eilise O'Connor opened its
largest lead of the half at 26-18. O'Connor scored six of Kansas City's points
in the 8-0 run.

Waytashek, who scored seven of the Jackrabbits' first nine
points of the game, single-handedly kept SDSU in the game. The sophomore scored
the final 11 points of the first half, sinking three three-pointers in the
final 3 minutes and 30 seconds - the last of which brought the Jackrabbits to
within 31-30 at the half.

Waytashek's scoring run reached 21 consecutive points as she
scored the first 10 points of the second half, draining two more three-pointers
as SDSU gained a 40-31 lead five minutes into the final stanza.

Kansas City, however, wouldn't go away as the Kangaroos
battled back to take a momentary 51-50 lead on two O'Connor free throws with
8:35 to play. The lead lasted all of 22 seconds as Mariah Clarin scored inside
and Waytashek knocked down her seventh trey of the game.

Trailing 60-59 with 1:22 remaining, the Kangaroos had a
chance to regain the lead, but O'Connor, who made her first 10 free throw
attempts, missed both attempts.

The two squads traded baskets on their next possessions
before Kansas City grabbed a rebound off a Jackrabbit miss with 28 seconds to
play. After a timeout, the Kangaroos missed a three-point attempt, but tied up
the rebound with less than four seconds remaining with the arrow in favor of
Kansas City.

On the final play of the game, Katie Lingle knocked the ball
out of O'Connor's hands just before the horn to preserve the Jackrabbit
victory.

Waytashek's 33 points came on 11-of-17 shooting from the
field, including a career-best 7-of-11 from three-point range. Lingle added
nine points off the bench.

SDSU finished the game 21-of-45 from the field, 46.7
percent, with a 10-for-23 effort from three-point range. The Jackrabbits
converted 10-of-17 attempts at the free throw line, 58.8 percent.

O'Connor paced the Kangaroos with 26 points, nine rebounds
and three steals. Taylor Leathers added 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the
field.

The Jackrabbits held a 27-25 rebounding advantage with Leah
Dietel posting a team-high five boards.

NOTES: SDSU leads the all-time series, 13-1, and has won the
last eight matchups ... two of the last three meetings between the two squads have
been decided by one point Saturday's game was the 100th Summit
League regular season game SDSU has played, with the Jackrabbits improving to
84-16 ... Waytashek's 33 points were the most by a Jackrabbit player in the
Division I era and the most by any SDSU women's basketball player since Rachel
Halsrud scored 33 against Nebraska-Omaha on March 5, 1994 ... the previous scoring
high in the D-I era was 32 points by Megan Vogel versus IPFW on Feb. 10, 2007 ...
Lingle moved into sole possession of ninth place in career blocked shots with
82, passing Leah Klaassen (81 blocked shots from 1995-98) ... the Jackrabbits
improved to 7-5 when trailing at the half and 11-2 when out-rebounding an
opponent ... attendance was 860 at Swinney Recreation Center